I heard from Panasonic that the release for the BD50 is now June 1 st, well you know before it actually is released the Sony 550 might already be out as well.
Here are the only differences:
Sony BDP-550 will decode 7.1 channel through HDMi Dolby® TrueHD and Dolby® Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output.
Panasonic will will decode DTS-MA & DD True HD through HDMi but only 5.1 channel analog audio output.
See press release:
SONY
SONY ADDS NEW BLU-RAY DISC PLAYERS WITH ADVANCED INTERACTIVITY
New Models Feature Ethernet Port for Interactive Functionality and Easy Firmware Updates
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 26, 2008
The BDP-S550 model support BonusView (Picture-in-Picture) featured on some of the new Blu-ray Disc theatrical releases. The BDP-S550 model is BD-Live capable featuring an Ethernet port for an easy firmware update and access to Internet-based interactive content features.
BDP-S550 also feature an external port for local storage, so users can add optional flash-based memory. The BDP-S550 ships with a 1GB storage device.
“Building on the exceptional picture and sound quality of previous players, Sony’s next-generation Blu-ray Disc models bring exciting interactive features to life and offer consumers a ground-breaking experience,” said Chris Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Sony Electronics’ Home Product Division. “These new devices bring home movie experience beyond the cinema and into a whole new realm of entertainment.”
The players feature 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema output. They are compatible with most standard DVDs and feature 1080p upscaling through an HDMI connection to capable HDTV sets, improving the picture performance of existing DVD libraries.
The models offer 7.1 channel Dolby® TrueHD and Dolby® Digital Plus decoding and bit-stream output, as well as dts®-HD High Resolution Audio and Master Audio bit-stream output. The BDP-S550 adds dts-HD High Resolution Audio and dts-HD Master Audio decoding as well as 7.1 channel analog audio output.
The players support AVCHD discs encoded with x.v.Color™ (xvYCC) technology, an international standard for wide color space reproduction. The standard expands the current data range of video by about 1.8 times, allowing the players to output more natural and vivid colors similar to what the human eye can actually see. The players also feature compatibility with an array of video formats, including BD-R/RE (BDMV and BDAV modes), DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW (Video Mode), CD, CD-R/RW (CD-DA format), and JPEG on DVD//CD recordable media.
The new models feature a slim design with reduced depth and height compared to previous models matching Sony’s new home-theater-in-a-box systems, the HT-SS2300 and HT-CT100 T-SS2300, also announced today. Optimized for Blu-ray Disc™, the new component systems feature three 1080p compatible HDMI™ inputs making them the perfect match for a Full high-definition home theater when connected to a new Sony BRAVIA® 1080p HDTV.
The new BDP-S350 ships this summer for about $400 and BDP-S550 will be available this fall for about $500. They will be offered at Sony Style stores, online at sonystyle.com, at military base exchanges, and at authorized retailers nationwide.
PANASONIC
BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER DMP-BD50 FACT SHEET
BD-Live
The DMP-BD50's Ethernet terminal is a gateway for Internet connection, which paves the way to an entirely new form of movie-plus-Internet entertainment. In the future, BD-Live users will be able to participate in quizzes and challenge each other to interactive games that are linked to bonus movie content on BD discs. BD-Live also supports other interactive functions, such as Picture-in-Picture and Audio Mixing.
Interactive Functions
Picture-In-Picture
With Picture-in-Picture, a small sub-window is displayed over the main image. There are four examples of Picture-in-Picture modes, each offering distinct functions. They include Enhanced Commentary, Backstage Pass Function, Peek Behind The Animation and Audio Mixing.
Enhanced Commentary*
BD media goes considerably beyond the kind of audio commentary provided in many DVD movies, such as a director discussing the film. Enhanced Commentary makes it possible, for example, for the director or actors to appear in the sub-window (as if they are standing in front of the screen) and point to actors or equipment as they make their comments.
Backstage Pass Function*
This lets you access additional information provided about people, places or things in a BD movie. Use the remote control to select an element highlighted on the screen, and a sub-window opens with the information. For example, there could be notes about the clothing or accessories an actor is wearing or the restaurant in which a scene is set.
Peek Behind The Animation*
While playing back a movie with dubbed-in voices – for example, a feature-length animation – this feature lets you watch in a sub-window as the actors read their parts. You can see the actors' gestures and expressions as they speak, giving you an inside look at a whole facet of moviemaking you've never seen before.
Audio Mixing*
The Audio Mixing function lets you choose which soundtrack to listen to: the one from the content playing in the main window, the one from the sub-window, or both at the same time. The sub-window soundtrack can also be reproduced in 5.1-channel surround sound.
*Depending upon program contents.
Other BD-Live Possibilities
The future is expected to bring a host of imaginative new features. For example, the DMP-BD50 will be able to connect directly to the Internet and download additional content from Websites to an SD Memory Card for more viewing and playing enjoyment.
HIGH-DEFINITION PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY
UniPhier®
Combining a PHL Reference Chroma Processor with advanced P4HD imaging technology, Uniphier, the Precise Digital Video processor reproduces crisp, natural colors that are extremely faithful to the original movie. The beautiful images are complemented by an exceptionally pure, accurate sound achieved through Audio Re-master and other leading-edge audio technologies. Uniphier reflects the advanced encoding and authoring technologies developed by Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) in collaboration with film industry professionals. With Uniphier at its heart, the DMP-BD50 provides a level of image and sound quality that meets Hollywood's stringent demands – so you experience movies just the way they were meant to be experienced.
Precise Digital Video
PHL Reference Chroma Processor
The PHL Reference Chroma Processor up-samples (4:2:0 to 4:2:2) the color information in decoded video signals. Using proprietary Panasonic technology, this innovative circuit faithfully reproduces the fine details and nuances of Blu-ray video streams that have been recorded with high quality image compression system. It generates images with all the clarity and depth that BD-Video movies have to offer.
P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD)
To get the best HD images from a BD-Video disc, you need a player that renders high-quality progressive images, expresses motion smoothly, and draws sharp diagonal lines. The DMP-BD50's P4HD processes more than 15 billion pixels per second and applies the optimum processing to every pixel in the video data on the disc. The result is images with exceptional resolution.
Deep Color*
The DMP-BD50's HDMI output is Deep Color compatible. While the earlier HDMI V.1.2 offers 8-bit, 256-step gradation on 4:4:4, HDMI V.1.3 enables video signals to be sent on 12-bit, 4,096-step gradation at any format. This helps the DMP-BD50 reproduce natural looking colors with smooth gradation and minimal color banding.
*An HDMI™ V.1.3 compatible TV is required.
1080/24p Playback The DMP-BD50 provides 1080/24p output (via HDMI) for Blu-ray titles and DVD titles. It reproduces movie images from a Blu-ray Disc in their original 24p form, with no need for conversion.
HD Audio Format Decoding and Output The DMP-BD50 is equipped with decoders for the high-quality, lossless Dolby® TrueHD and DDTS-HD Master Audio™ audio formats. These formats theoretically contain the information to reproduce original sound sources in their entirety. HDMi Connection to an AV amplifier with 7.1-channel input capability enables sound quality on the level of a studio master system.
Audio Re-master for All Media
The DMP-BD50's Audio Re-master function compensates for data lost in the compression process used in BD and DVD recording. This helps create a fuller, richer sound that is extremely faithful to the original. It also brings re-mastering to the Blu-ray Disc for the first time ever.
HD Networking with SD Memory Card
The DMP-BD50 comes equipped with a slot for SD Memory Cards.
Linking with an HD Camcorder
The DMP-BD50 can play back AVCHD-format images shot with an HD camcorder, such as the Panasonic HDC-SD9.
VIERA LinkTM
Seamless GUI
You Can Control Your Blu-ray Disc™ Player with the TV Remote Control*
